T Nation

Bipolar Gym

Off Topic
#1

Last week I saw two things in my gym that made me appreciate the diversity of America. At the dumbell rack, a skinny-fat guy in a black tank top and shorts chalked up his hands to do bent over rear delt raises…with seven pound plastic dumbells. I shook my head in wonder and walked over to the squat rack.

There I found one of our dedicated regulars. This guy is about 300 pounds, admittedly with a big gut, but he never claims to be a bodybuilder and is happy with the way he looks. As I approached, he had a bar loaded, on the floor, with 405. I thought to myself "Warming up for deads, huh?". Then I watched him approach the bar, bend over, and proceeded to bang out 10, that's 10, perfect, beautiful, barbell rows. Unreal.

#2

The bigger the gut, the less distance you have to row the barbell. Maybe I should look into that…

#3

Help me out with the lingo… Skinny-fat? You make a strong point and very profound observaiton.

#4

It’s a combination of being small and having a high body fat percentage. You’re “thin” and are healthy according to BMI scales, but you’re still mushy. Have you ever seen a girl with really thin legs, but they seemed to be entirely composed of cellulite? That’s it.

#5 
 Somehow these newbies seem to be under the severe misconception that the [non-existent] weight they're holding doesn't make that much difference. My personal opnion though goes more along the lines thay've forgotten their testes at home. Who knows, they imght be considering undergoing a sex-operation change, lol. All i know, is... huh, i dont think i know anything. Im just baffled really.
#6

snobs

#7

I know the feeling I maxed out at 485 on the squat rack. The skinny little dude I was squatting with proceeded to load up 535 and do four reps. It was the little smirk he gave me afterwards that made we want to kill him. Envy first but then kill. But hey that’s why I train.

#8

I love it, especially with chaulking up for those 7 pounders. I bet they were pink or purple to boot!

#9

If you guys were really all that, you wouldnt need to put down skinny fat people. Does it really bother you guys? Why get upset about it? I bet if you all posted your pics, you’d get ALOT of critisism too. Boy i cant wait for the “im 200+ pounds and 8% body fat” replys

#10

Well said Mr. Universe.

#11

I’m 200 lbs and 8% body fat! Happy some one said it now! I think when he said skinny-fat he was just trying to be descriptive of the situation.

#12

I think just about every gym has “those” guys. I live in a relatively small town in central NY, and the year I graduated high school (in 1995) a fitness opened, which was great! I started working out there and then I went off to college, but I would still workout there on breaks and summer vacation. Pretty much the same people have been working out there ever since the place opened, including this one guy who is the biggest jack ass I have ever seen. I must admit that back in the day when I first started working out there, I thought this guy was pretty strong. He would use chalk and straps and what not and lift some pretty heavy weight. However, the years have passed…yet he is still pushing the SAME weight he was doing back in 1995!!! HAHA. He walks around like he is big shit and still uses the chalk to bench press 185 lbs. And then when he is done with his set he will rack the weight, and walk around the fitness center for 5 minutes and re-chalk. What a freakin joke this guy is. I dont know about you guys, but it cracks me up that he is still using the same weight as 7 years ago…and yet he walks around like he is king shit…hahahahaha.

#13

Aim your criticism straight at the Editor and Assistant Editor of this here magazine. That’s where I learned what skinny-fat means. Guess what? Skinny-fat is bad. Weak is bad. Un-educated and ignorant is bad. That’s why we learn about, and engage in, training, isn’t it?

Seriously, do any of our forum posters actually read the damn magazine anymore?

#14

Thats true demo, but its usually because they dont know any better. I feel sorry for them working out all the time and not getting the results they deserve. Its a pity that people dont realise that nutrition is the key to a good body, rather than training.

I remember when i started out and not having a clue. Thats why i hate hearing the term and i always remember the old days. I consider myself one of the lucky ones that found the "secret".

#15

Thanks Mr. Universe for setting us all straight. I have been searching my whole life for someone to tell me that I can stop training and eat my way to being Mr. Olympia. I humbly bow to your wisdom.

#16

Avoids Roids… That reply of yours was utter stupidity. I said nothing wrong and you had to go be a dick. The reason people that workout and are still “skinny-fat” is because of their diet. No need for your bullshit sarcastic post.

#17

“Its a pity that people dont realise that nutrition is the key to a good body, rather than training.”

I thought it took both.

#18

Avoids, at what point did Mr Universe say that you needed to stop training, and ONLY eat?? As Shugart said:

"It's your diet, stupid!"

--lowrider

#19

When did people on this thread put down skinny-fat people (before your original post)? Demo Dick did not, as skinny-fat was just his description of the person. DIESEL seemed to, but his post was a little confusing (sorry DIESEL!). I think he was referring to the amount of weight lifted, though, which has nothing to do with being skinny-fat. The original post and consternation by those that replied was about the use of chalk to do rear delt raises, let alone with 7lb dumbbells. Though we all had to start somewhere, I don’t believe many (read: any) of us used chalk in the beginning (or ever) for rear delt raises. It’s funny to picture, as is a baby trying to walk. Yes, we should help people like this out, but I don’t think it’s horrible to have a private little chuckle at others’ growing pains. We have all done silly things without knowing better, and that is the exact reason why this was funny. We are not only laughing at the misguided souls in the gym, but at ourselves as well, for things we’ve done, and things that we know we’re going to end up doing.

#20

L_O_W, Mr. Universe said exactly that when he used the word “rather” which, according to Webster’s, means “to the contrary: INSTEAD OF”. If you look further, you will find that “instead” is defined as a “substitute for or an alternative to”. Therefore, Mr. Universe said “Its (sic) a pity that people dont (sic) realise (English spelling of realize is assumed here as opposed to yet another misspelling) that nutrition is the key to a good body, rather than (INSTEAD OF) training.” Now, I will grant you that, after reading his soliloquy several times, perhaps, he meant to say something along the lines of “Its (sic) a pity that people dont (sic) realise that nutrition, in conjunction with, training is the key to a good body.” Unfortunately, I have not been trained in trying to interpret alternative meanings to what one writes but merely to take it as its face value. Tenga un buen dia mi amigo.